hedge wizard

plural hedge wizards

1. fantasyAn inferior wizard; a wizard of limited ability and little or no formal training.

   To the young hedge wizard, a wizard of only 5th level seems to be a mighty archmage.

   2002, Mike Mearls, The Quintessential Wizard, page 11

   5 more examples

   There was something hysterical about the way Mouse insisted on that ‘great,’ for to the world Glavas Rho was but a hedge-wizard, no better than a Mingol necromancer with his second-sighted spotted dog or a conjurer beggar of Quarmall.

   1962 October, Fritz Leiber, “The Unholy Grail”, in Fantastic, volume 10, number 11

   "And Portravus has no mage—" said mousy Herjes, looking as much frightened as worried. "Just a couple of hedge-wizards and some assorted Low Magick practitioners. And not a lot of money to spare to hire one."

   1988, Mercedes Lackey, “Dragon's Teeth”, in Spell Singers, page 52

   “Hedge wizard” is a term that’s come up in my campaign to describe the proprietors of small “magic shops” in villages and cities in AD&D® campaigns. Hedge wizards specialize in minor but useful magicks, using spells like mending and knock rather than magic missile and irritation. Hedge wizards are usually low-level mages with sage and herbalist abilities.

   1990 November, Gregg Sharp, “Hedge Wizards”, in Dragon, volume 15, number 6, page 19

   "I don't know of any great mage in the Bitterwood," Daene said. "Hedge-wizards aplenty, and weather-witches—every village has them."

   2016, Rowan Speedwell, Bitterwood

   He talked of magic, which she found interesting. She'd never spoken to a true wizard before. Hedge wizards, perhaps, but never someone as knowledgeable and powerful as a spire wizard.

   2020, Russell Archey, The Seven Spires